The spring theme for this edition of the Gordon Review is “Life to the Full”—embracing the words of Christ in John 10:10. However, a bleak question comes to my mind: Well, what do we do when life does not seem full? When life seems rather empty and interwoven with suffering?

It is a dilemma that every Christian and every individual must grapple with, whether Christian, Agnostic, Naturalist, Hindu, or Muslim. As theists, we are often combated with questions similar to that of the Scottish philosopher David Hume, that in the light of all the suffering in the world, how can God be simultaneously all-powerful and good?

This is the philosophical problem of suffering. However, all the knowledge and theology in the world about suffering often goes out the window when life crumbles before us. It is easy to think about suffering in theory, but reality will bring us to our knees. Where are we to find an all-powerful and perfectly good God in the midst of a tsunami that has destroyed thousands in an Asian country? How are we to understand God when a cancer has stricken someone close to us? What are we to make of mass injustices around the world, or reconcile the 20th century as the bloodiest century in history?

Much of the questioning and doubt surrounding this seeming paradox of evil within a world sovereignly controlled by a good God comes from our preconceived notion of retribution. When disaster strikes, we are quick to question what we did to merit such peril. We question the standards of justice in this world, arguing and fretting over what has come upon us when, in reality, it was never about what we have done. Many have made their attempts to answer these questions, most brighter than I, but I still hope to add new understanding.

To begin, I have something I can assure you of: There is an absolute, 100 percent chance that we all will die. That might put you off or seem like a taboo topic. Yet, if I were to pose a question or make a political statement, that would be more comfortable no matter how much you disagree with me. The good news for the Christian, in regards to the guarantee of death, is that this is nothing a good old resurrection can’t fix. Perhaps the resurrection of the Son of God Himself, Who conquered the very death we all fear. However, that alone cannot be placed upon our suffering like a bandage. That alone won’t help us feel “okay” when life implodes.

The archetypal figure of suffering in the Bible is Job, the innocent and righteous sufferer. Many of us relate to him when we ourselves suffer. When disastrous trouble comes Job’s way, his wife nags him to “curse God and die,” asking him “What do you have to live for?” His friends also arrive and attempt to present a solution to his problems with theological arguments. They question Job’s beliefs regarding God’s justice and sovereignty, eventually accusing Job of blaspheming against God. However, in his interaction with his wife, Job recognizes the sovereignty of God, asking her, “Shall we receive good things at the hand of God and not bad things?” Even later on to his friends, Job acknowledges the aforementioned guarantee of death, but showcases his consistent trust in the Lord, confidently saying “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.’ But I still have some things I want to raise with him”(A paraphrase of Job 13:15).

Job is comfortable acknowledging the sovereignty of God over both life and death, trusting in the Lord no matter what. This is exactly where I have found peace with the concept of suffering. The approach is a theory called compatibilism—the idea that in a mysterious way, God is entirely sovereign over everything, but at the same time, human responsibility is not reduced. Essentially, humans are responsible for their actions, but the sovereignty of God is not diminished or unpredictable.

The sovereign hand of God over suffering and evil should serve overarchingly to remind us that things will never be out of His control. We can rest in peace knowing that God is working out all things for our good, and that we can bestow our suffering upon him. Suffering is nothing out of the ordinary for the Christian, rather it is exactly what we are prescribed in this life. However, we know that God never loses. There are no intractable problems for Him, and no surprises. It is not always beneficial to slap a verse on our suffering like a bandaid, and act as though it will make everything okay–this can come across as unbearably insensitive. Often the best practice to delight in God within suffering is through quiet confidence in Him that will then breed stability amidst the rocky ground.

I do believe that it is important to learn and train ourselves how to think about suffering, while we are not actively in any strife. That way we may be adequately prepared to take suffering head-on when we experience it.

My prayer is that I have shed some light on these issues so that anyone who reads this can be better equipped to become a better sufferer. Paul states in Philippians 1:20 that “It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death” (Philippians 1:20). Are we not to embrace this same thought—that we are not to be ashamed and with full courage to have Christ honored in our bodies whether in life or death, whether in bliss or suffering. We should walk this way even now, dead in our flesh, finding joy in our salvation and our Lord through all suffering and trial.